The Change of Meridian Energy and Symptoms Among the Breast Cancer Patients with Chemotherapy Ping-Ho Chen 1, Li-Yin Chien 2, Chen-Jei Tai 1, 3, Sheng-Miauh Huang 4 Author Affiliations: 1Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taipei Medical University Hospital; 2 Institute of Clinical and Community Health Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei; 3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University; 4 Department of Nursing, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Presenter: Sheng-Miauh Huang, e-mail: [email protected] Meridian Energy Background Based on the theories of traditional Chinese medicine Breast Cancer & Blood Qi Chemotherapy (TCM), qi and blood run throughout the body via meridian Obstruction vessels. Stasis Insufficiency Qi and blood running through meridians are regarded as Worsening Symptom Severity & meridian energy. Symptom Interference There was rare study to evaluate the change of the meridian energy among breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. Figure 1. Proposed scheme for the change of the meridian energy, symptom Objective severity and symptom interference among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The primary purpose of the study was to describe the change of the meridian energy, symptom severity and interference among the patients with breast carcinoma receiving the chemotherapy. Also, the study explored the factors to predict the meridian energy. (Figure 1) Methods A longitudinal study was carried out with 121 patients at four teaching hospitals in the north of Taiwan. The researcher recruited the subjects from July 1st, 2009 to February 28th, 2011. The researcher collected data at the pre-treatment, and the 1st and 3rd month after the treatment. The meridian energy was examined by using the Meridian Energy Figure 2. MEAD Me-Pro (MedPex Enterprise Ltd., Taichung, Taiwan) Analysis Device Me-Pro. (Figure 2) The symptom severity and interference was assessed by the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Taiwan version. Table 1 The GLMM results on the meridian energy (n=121) Estimate SE t p Results Intercept 52.08 7.59 6.86 <0.001* As time went by, the patients had the worse overall meridian energy and symptom severity. (Figure 3-5) MDASI–severity -0.18 0.07 -2.53 0.012* Older women had lower overall meridian energy. (Table 1) The symptom severity is the strong factors to predict the MDASI–interference -0.19 0.11 -1.73 0.085 deteriorated overall meridian energy. (Table 1) 3 months after treatment a -3.87 1.80 -2.15 0.034* The patients who used traditional Chinese medicine had a higher overall meridian energy and who used mind-body 1 month after treatment 0.29 1.83 0.16 0.875 medicine had lower overall meridian energy. (Table 1) Age -0.28 0.13 -2.10 0.038* Conclusions TCM therapy 7.21 2.88 2.50 0.013* The overall meridian energy and symptom severity among the patients still deteriorated during chemotherapy. Mind-body medicine -9.41 4.02 -2.34 0.021* TCM doctors should observe the change of the symptoms and give some treatments to alleviate the symptoms and even to ameliorate Energy medicine 11.65 6.90 1.69 0.092 the meridian energy. a The references were pre-treatment. Whether using traditional Chinese medicine could improve overall GLMM: generalized linear mixed model, AR(1). health or not is worth doing further studies. The significance level was set at p< .05*. Figure 3. The change of meridian energy Figure 4. The change of symptom severity Figure 5. The change of symptom interference .